US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant spoke by phone following Israel’s airstrike against a Houthi port in Yemen, according to the Pentagon. This marks their fourth publicised call in less than a week.
“Austin acknowledged Israel’s action followed months of Houthi attacks against the State of Israel,” the US readout states. He also “reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and Israel’s right to self-defence.”
On Saturday, Israeli fighter jets conducted an airstrike in Yemen in retaliation for the Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv last Thursday. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck 12 Houthi military targets near Yemen’s Al Hudaydah Port. Following the strike, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) raised alert levels for the IAF and the Navy.
Arab media reported that Israel targeted oil refinery facilities, an energy plant, and additional sites near the port. The IDF emphasised that these strikes were in response to “hundreds of attacks” against Israel since October 7.
